﻿Conservation vs. Restoration﻿

What is art conservation and how does it differ from art restoration?

The terms "conservation" and "restoration" are often mistakenly used interchangeably. It is not uncommon to see art dealers or frame shops advertise their restoration services. Are these the same as conservation services? If not, how do they differ?

There are two main differences between Art Conservation and Restoration: education and treatment approach. Art Conservation is a profession dedicated to the preservation of cultural property for the future. A conservator is trained in an accredited graduate program with at least a Master's degree in the field of conservation. Trained conservators will specialize in one material category (i.e. a painting conservator and will not treat books) and will not treat all materials. Their academic training focuses on an interdisciplinary approach combining art history, studio art and material science, which is complimented by practical experience both within and outside of their graduate training program.

A conservator's hands-on training occurs through a series of pre-program positions, internships and fellowships at museums or private studios under the direction of other trained conservators before, during, and after receipt of their Master's degree. While restoration is an aspect of a conservator's job, a qualified conservator approaches an artwork with long-term preservation as the main goal. A conservator will therefore attempt to perform the minimum treatment necessary and use the most reversible materials available to address a damaged artwork. This is in an effort to preserve the original artwork to the greatest extent without compromising its material, artistic and historic integrity.

Art Restorationis often performed by someone who has apprenticed under an artist, trained as an artisan, or simply learned through experience. There is generally no academic training involved, which means restorers often lack the scientific expertise and materials knowledge to properly approach a damaged artwork.

Rather than being concerned with the long-term preservation of an artwork, a restorer focuses on returning an object to its original aesthetic by whatever means necessary. This is often to the detriment of the artwork, as new materials may be introduced to it that are not compatible with the long-term stability of the object.